Shadows of the Past
by horsie890
Summary: Post OoTMM. Zelda starts acting weird, and nobody knows why. Not funny. Turns sad. Touches of fluff every now and then. [Complete]
1. Chapter One

Okay. horsie890 here. This is my disclaimer: I own nothing related to Legend of Zelda stuff. Or Nintendo. But if I did, I would kick out everything except Zelda characters, Mario pals, things from Pokemon, and Fire Emblem people. But I can't. So sad. However- I do own the starts-out-evil-turns-good person named Aronos. No stealing. I found out that a really cool way to make names is to spell other words backwards. I hope you enjoy my story. If it's good, tell me by clicking the shiny review button. If it is horrible beyond all reasonable doubt, tell me anyway. Read it first, though. And another thing- DarkDragonknight1993: Just shut up and start the story already, stupid! horsie890: Sorry…..Here ya go, then.

Link was dreaming about the Kokiri Forest, when was still young, before all of his adventures. He stared around at the lush greenery and quaint tree houses. There was Mido, ordering some poor Kokiri to pick up rocks. He saw his friends talking to their fairies, and the shopkeeper telling him, "We sell shields, but not swords!" And then he saw Saria, his green-haired best friend. "Come on, Link!" she squealed with delight. "My friends and I are going to the Lost Woods!" Link was about to reply, but the sky darkened with clouds above him. _That's strange,_ he thought. _It's never cloudy in the forest._ The clouds soon covered the sky and the sun disappeared. "Hey, what's going on?" asked Saria in a frightened voice. The clouds boomed with deafening thunder. Suddenly, a fiery red bolt of lightning (_or was it magic? _Link thought) shot out of the sky toward Saria. "Saria! Look out!" Just as Link was going to push her out of the way, he woke up abruptly. He was dazed and shook the sleepy fog out of his head. He got up and walked over to his window, realizing how much farther it was when he had taken five steps and he wasn't there yet. His room in the castle was about four times the size of his house in the Kokiri Forest. It was covered in imported rugs, tapestries, the finest Deku Wood inlaid with gold, and tons of stuff made of silk. It had a floor-to-ceiling window overlooking the serene Hyrule Field and LonLon Ranch, and it was well lit with several lanterns. As he stared at the mountains, he couldn't help thinking of Saria and his friends in the forest. And Navi. _Navi._ He almost cried at the thought of his sweet little fairy. She was gone, and had been ever since he defeated Ganon. Link remembered the castle collapsing, flying down the stairs with Zelda, Navi getting separated from him… Link was sure she was dead; there was no way she could have survived that. He remembered that sad day clearly…

Link was following Zelda, who was racing down the stairs. The castle was falling down around them. _I didn't think Zelda could run that fast. This is hard!_ He thought to himself, skipping every other step. "Link! Wait for me!" came a high pitched voice. He turned back and saw Navi, his fairy, flying in zigzags, avoiding falling bricks and stone. "Navi!" He ran back to her and put a hand out to grab her. Just as he gently closed his fingers around her, a massive chink of stone came crashing down on top of his hand. It crushed his arm, but he ignored the pain as he gingerly held the fairy. Her milky blue-white glow was gone, and she looked like a tiny Hylian, with lacy wings and pointed ears. "Good…bye…my friend…"she choked out as she closed her eyes forever. "Navi? Navi, you have to be okay. You just have to!" Link tried to hold back the tears, but it was no use. "Come, on, Link! Hurry!" Zelda was shouting to him, but her voice was lost in Link's thoughts as he remembered everything he and Navi had been through. He didn't even notice when the castle fell out from underneath him, and he was free falling to the ground… Zelda had found and saved him, but Navi was gone forever. Link stared at the pale pink and purple sky, trying to free his mind. He loved the sunrise. It was the only time he wasn't being hurried off to some meeting or forced to talk to a bunch of empty-headed diplomats from Who-cares-where. It seemed like now that he was the "Hero of Time," everyone just had to meet him. He felt like a puppet, doing whatever King Harkinian's advisors told him to do. He missed his adventurous life: battling monsters, clearing out dungeons, solving puzzles, finding the boss monster (and getting really scared because it was about 20 times his size); it was all fun and exciting. Well, he thought he should probably stop daydreaming and go down to breakfast. The sun had just broken the horizon and was shining brightly across Hyrule, burning off the morning mist and dew. The ground seemed to sparkle from the tiny droplets of water left over from the previous night's rain. Sighing, Link walked over to his bed, once again noting the longer distance. He had slept in his tunic, like he was used to, so he only had to put on his boots, gloves, and hat. He glanced at his sword, wondering for a moment if he should take it with him. _It couldn't hurt._ He grabbed the Master Sword, strapping the sheath across his back, then his shield, and walked down the winding, stone staircase.

He reached the bottom (finally) and headed down a hallway towards the dining hall. _I'd probably better check and see if **he**'s there again. _Link peeked around the corner, and saw a servant standing there. _Oh, great. Not again. Every single day…Well, I better get this over with. _Link tried to wait until the servant wasn't looking so he could sneak past, but the man stared straight ahead like a statue. He strode over to the doorway. "How would you like to be announced, master Link?" Link crossed his arms and thought, _here we go again_.

"Do you have to? Why? It's not like I'm a stranger here or anything. I can't walk into one room here without this happening. Everyone already recognizes me anyway, because-"

"Because you do this all the time!" Link was cut off by a sweet, slightly annoyed female voice. It was Zelda, the Princess of Hyrule, and Link's wife. She had heard his argument, the same thing that happened every morning. She grabbed his arm and started dragging him toward the table. "I'm terribly sorry," she said to the servant. "He's always like this." She whispered to Link, "Why can't we get through one day without your yelling?"

"It's not my fault," he whispered back. "I don't know all of the rules around here, and-" He stopped when he saw Zelda smiling at him. "Sorry. But really, I still don't have any idea of what I'm supposed to do," he whispered as they sat down. The table was covered in a white silk tablecloth. The plates were fine china and had the Triforce 'painted' on them-

in real gold. The silverware was made of gold and engraved with the Triforce as well. The food smelled delicious. Link thought there was so much food, that if it were made of rocks, it would have fed twice the Gorons on Death Mountain. He preferred to kill his own food like he used to, but he realized that not having ashes in it was just fine with him (he wasn't Hyrule's best cook).

"So, Link, what did you plan on doing today?" asked King Harkinian, interrupting his thoughts. "You have a meeting at 3:00, so make time for whatever it is. You should probably be back here at about 2:00…"

"I was thinking of going over to the Gerudo Valley to practice my horseback archery on Epona." "But we have a perfectly fine archery course here at the castle! Why would you possibly want to go over to that filthy place?" he exclaimed with disgust.

"Because there they have to beat me with a Deku stick to make me leave before I can practice. It's more challenging," he replied with a smile.

"Well, if you're going, I want to come too," said Zelda. "I got a new horse yesterday. Her name is Hyacinth. She's a gift from the Zoras. She can even breathe underwater!"

"But we're going to the desert. She might end up like a fish out of water."

"Oh please. She's just like a normal horse too. It's not like she's limited to certain environments, thank you very much."

"Well, if we are going together, you'd better not act like that, or I might not let you win."

"_Let_ me win? What is that supposed to mean? You _know_ I'm a better archer than you."

"Oh please. I believe _I'm_ the one who took down Phantom Ganon with just my bow and arrows. Forest Temple, remember?"

"Okay, stop arguing, you two. I'm tired of hearing this," said King Harkinian. "You shouldn't act like that. You're adults, not children, like the Kokiri. Sorry, Link. No offense meant," he added, seeing the hurt look on Link's face.

"Yeah, well, I guess you're right, your Highness." Link turned to Zelda. "Let's get going. We don't want to get back after dinner." He stood up and walked away from the table.

"Do you always think about food? Hey, wait for me!" Zelda cried as she scrambled to catch up with him. As they approached the barn, Link thought of something.

"Zel, I don't think you can ride in that dress." She merely grinned.

"Not a problem," she responded, snapping her fingers. She was surrounded with bright blue swirls of magic. When they cleared away, Link couldn't help but stare. He felt like he was looking in a mirror. Zelda was wearing a green tunic, leather gloves and boots, and a pointy green hat. No sword or shield, though.

"Great. Just great, Zelda. Now people will think we are twins. Why didn't you turn into a Sheikah?"

"Why didn't you?" she playfully asked.

"Let's just get going," he said, trying in vain to hide a smile.

Meanwhile, Ganondorf's ghost was floating through the remains of his castle, looking for something he could use. "I can't believe this! One minute I'm the most powerful in all of Hyrule, the next I'm being taken out of the Dark Realm where stupid Zelda sent me! Why does Link get all the good things? He and Zelda have the entire Triforce, he lives in the castle, he's next in line to be king, and he's married to the Princess! I hate those two elves so much. I wonder if I can at least see what he's doing…" he grumbled, opening a magic window in front of himself. "I wish I had my magic back. Thanks to that pointy-eared moron, I can only do simple tricks like this. Hmmm… It looks like they're heading towards Gerudo Valley. Let's see…how can I get my old friends to do something to them?"

"Perhaps there is still one thing to do, great Ganon," came a whispery, shadowed voice from behind him.

"Oh, it's you, Aronos. I thought you were dead." The figure was wearing a long, black robe, a hood shielding his face. Where his feet would have been, there was only smoke. He had two piercing, blood red almonds for eyes. "Thanks for the warm welcome," he said sarcastically. "Listen up, I have an idea to get back at them. You may be just a ghost now, but you should be able to possess things: objects, animals, even people. Of course, you'll have to use some of _my_ powerful magic." Ganondorf thought about a possible choice as his servant continued. "However, it is a very complicated spell. I can only use my power to cast it once, so choose wisely."

"I could take over Link, but then the only way to kill him would be to commit suicide, and then we'd both be ghosts, and he would haunt me for the rest of my afterlife. That's a big no," he said, shaking the thought from his mind.

"Might I suggest Zelda? You could absorb nearly all of her magic. Then you would be restored to your Gerudo self. And Link would never suspect a thing!"

"Excellent idea, Aronos! Prepare the spell immediately!"

Hope you liked it. I've got this whole thing typed and ready, I'm still getting used to the chapter management system. Forgive me, please. Review now, or go on to next chapter and review that. Review sometime soon, I guess. -horsie890


	2. Chapter Two

Back at Gerudo Valley, Link was setting the rules. "Alright, Zelda. I'll shoot ten targets first, and then you go. Highest score wins. Simple enough?" She nodded.

"Okay, so what do I get if I win?" she asked.

"The honor of winning?"

"No. Since you set the rules, I pick the prizes. If I win, you give me…. a full day to ride Epona." "What? She's my horse! You have that one, plus a million others-"

"Just wait. I'm not done. If you win, which won't happen, I'll give you…a thousand rupees. Okay?"

"Fine."

"Good. Now start shooting, 'Hero of Time'." Link sighed, hearing his now 'official' palace name. It wasn't his favorite. He picked up his bow, then was about to grab an arrow, when he paused.

"Zelda? Can we use magic arrows?"

"No, you know they always hit the target. It's not fair. Get out a Deku one, mister." He pulled out a Deku arrow and nocked it to the bowstring. Just as he was about to let go of the string, he heard a loud _zap _of energy and looked up. There was a swirling portal in the sky! Link wasn't sure what to do, especially when he saw a dark figure in a robe step through it, followed closely by Ganondorf's ghost. _Well, this is new,_ he thought. Link quickly added a Light Arrow to the string and aimed for them. When he released the string, the magic arrow seemed to guide the other one to the targets. Ganondorf seemed almost frightened for a moment, then relaxed when the other guy put up a dark energy shield in front of them, shattering the arrows into pieces. The figure then shot magic bolts at Zelda, but Hyacinth nimbly dodged the attack. Before Zelda had time to regain her balance, they fired again, knocking her off the mare. "Zelda!" yelled Link. He jumped off Epona and ran to her side. He checked her pulse, but there was only a faint beat against his fingertips. Turning to face Ganondorf, he unsheathed his sword and charged it for a powerful sword spin. He planned to jump into the air right when it was at full power, using it to 'fly' up to Ganondorf (and friend) and strike when the attack was at full power. Ganondorf floated down to where Zelda lay and yelled something to the other guy. To Link, it sounded like, "Start the spell now!" or something. The figure raised his arms and began chanting in ancient Hylian: "By the powers of the Golden Ones, Din, Nayru, and Farore, let this spirit become one with this body!" A flash of golden light blinded Link and Zelda. When it disappeared, Link noticed that the Gerudo was missing, and the other person was stepping back through the dark portal. Link took out a bomb and hurled it towards the figure. It exploded mid-flight, but he had no time to notice. He went back to Zelda, who lay on the ground, seemingly unconscious. She suddenly opened her eyes and sat up, blinking. "Zelda, are you okay?" he asked.

"Yes, I'm fine," she answered in a monotonous voice.

"Are you sure? You sound kind of strange."

"I said, I'm_ fine_," she said with a slight edge.

"Okay, if you say so. But I still think we should go back to the castle…."

"Who asked you what you thought? We should stay and practice in case the great Ganon returns." Link was surprised.

"Since when is he 'the great Ganon'? And since when are you so rude?"

"I-I'm sorry. I don't know what came over me. But we really should practice. If you don't think you can win, then go back to the castle. But I'm staying."

"No way, Zelda. After that experience, I'm not leaving you alone. Besides, I can't let you beat the great 'Hero of Time' at archery!" After they shot several rounds, they stopped for lunch. "I can't believe how many times you beat me, Zelda! After ten rounds, I only won three. I guess you are pretty good," he said, admitting defeat.

"We aren't finished yet. You could still have a chance if you actually tried."

"I was try-oh, I get it. I mean, I _was_ letting you off easy, but not anymore."

"Okay. I've got an idea. How about we do five more rounds. Whoever wins gets both prizes." "But if I get a whole day to ride my own horse, won't that be useless?"

"No. This time you will have my official permission. Remember what happened last time you didn't?" He thought for a moment, recalling the incident.

"Hey, why can't I leave? I need to go ride Epona," he said, talking to the two guards blocking his path. One laughed.

" 'Epona' can wait. Right now, you have royal duties to attend to." Link didn't like this. Once he set his mind to something, it got done, end of story. He turned around and acted as if he was going to walk away, but instead did an effortless back flip over them. He dashed through the town dodging people and Cuccos. Sprinting towards the drawbridge, he stole a glance at the stunned guards and laughed. They were frantically chasing after him. His smile faded when the guards started closing the drawbridge ahead of him. He ran even faster and up the bridge, jumping into the moat at the last second. He climbed out, soaking wet, and played Epona's song on his ocarina. As he heard her hoof beats in the distance, he saw the guards shouting at him to get back to the castle, but he ignored them. He swiftly mounted his faithful horse and galloped in the direction of the Kokiri Forest.

"Oh yeah. I almost forgot," he said.

"Well, don't forget again. It didn't turn out good then, and it certainly wouldn't now."

Back in the Dark Realm, in his fortress of evil, Aronos was watching them. "The plan is going perfectly," he said to himself. He knew Ganondorf could hear him. Now that the Gerudo had overpowered Zelda, he was slowly absorbing her energy and abilities, including her telepathy. He thought Ganondorf was doing a decent job of acting like Zelda. Aronos could feel her spirit slowly fading away. Her thoughts were echoing in his head. _Link, help me! I'm too weak to destroy him on my own. Link! Can you hear me! LINK!_ He laughed at her cries for help. _Link can't hear you, Zelda. And soon you will have no chances left, for you are slowly dying. Accept the truth. Ganon is more powerful than you. Death isn't completely bad, believe me. It doesn't hurt. Just let it happen._ His thoughts had an evil tone. _Remember, Ganon. This is your one chance to finally destroy the Hero of Time. Don't mess it up!_

_Don't worry, Aronos. There's no way this can fail_, he answered. Aronos broke his concentration. _I guess I should have a back up plan, in case this doesn't work. _He turned to a shelf full of potions. He grabbed a few bottles and walked over to where his book of magic spells and a large cauldron were. "Let's see…" he muttered, searching through the crumbling, faded pages. "Ah, here we go," he said to himself. "This spell is perfect." He poured a few of the liquids in the cauldron, then said a few words in ancient Hylian. The potion glowed bright orange for a few seconds, then turned a glassy, silver color. He filled three bottles with it, putting two on a small table nearby. The third one, he drank. As the liquid flowed down his throat, he realized he could taste again. No, he could…. he could _feel_ again. He felt as if everything had a texture, even the air surrounding him. He could sense energy everywhere. Aronos was no longer a ghost. He pulled back the hood of his cloak and stared into the mirror-like surface of the cauldron. A young, startled face with long, vibrant red hair, emerald green eyes, and pointed Hylian ears stared back.

Review responses:

**Greki:** It may have only been one word, but it was a very nice word. I hope you meant "interesting" in a good way.

**Evil Enigmatic Moomba: **Okay, thanks. I think… No more soda for you today. At least the JarJar thing is over. I hope…

**harrypotterfan:** Thanks. It gets way better, I promise.

**Fatalfeline:** How is it like anime? Ummm, I didn't really cry.

**Darkdragonknight1993:** Yes, the E word is a very very very (…) very bad thing. It's spelled 'Ganondork', by the way.

Thanks to everyone who reviewed so far. I just wish there were more of you….hinthintnudgenudgewinkwinkcoughcough -horsie890


	3. Chapter Three

Zelda's spirit floated around a strange world. It looked almost like another dimension, and there was a quiet melody playing in the background. She had heard Link play it before, once, on his ocarina. It brought tears to her eyes because it was so sad. She couldn't describe it. The melody sounded sad, yet peaceful; depressing, yet hopeful. One side of the chamber had part of a brick wall with a door covered with iron bars; an exact copy of it sat on the other side of the room. A tree sat on an island in the middle of the room, its bare, dead branches sticking out. A strange rock was on one side of the room, and an orange-yellow triangle, almost like the corner of a frame, rested on the other. The floor looked like silver water, though she found it was solid underneath. The area seemed like it went on forever, but when she was walking around, she accidentally ran right into a wall. When she cautiously held out a hand to touch it, she noticed her fingers were transparent, almost invisible. There were smooth bricks underneath the mist-covered floor. She kneeled down and glanced into the silvery water to see what she looked like. Her golden hair fell to one side of her shoulders. The normally glistening ruby in her sparkling crown was instead dull and dark. Two sapphire eyes rested in the middle of her delicate face. As she felt herself grow even weaker, a single tear fell from her eye and into the water, distorting the image. She stood up and walked over to the tree. She noticed something. There was a figure leaning against the side of the tree. It looked like…. "Link!" she shouted, running over to the spot where he stood. As she got closer, she saw that he was a solid, gleaming black, without any color. His hair, clothes, skin-everything was the shade of a deep void. The only features that stood out were his piercing azure eyes. "L-Link?" she stammered. "Not exactly. More like his shadow," he said in a dark, low voice. "What's going on? Where are we?" she asked. "That's for me to know, and for you to not live long enough to find out, " he answered, drawing his sword. "What are you doing? What's wrong with you! Link!" She stared in horror as he jumped into the air, his sword raised above his head and ready to strike.

Review Responses:

Well, since nobody has reviewed recently and I'm getting bored and I already have the entire story typed and finished for all you people who didn't pay attention earlier, I'll just upload the rest of it. I've got nothing else to do except work on 'Everybody vs. Nintendo'. That's something I thought up in my spare time. Next chapter now. –horsie890


	4. Chapter Four

Okay. Next chapter here. Short, yes, but still at least halfway decent. The descriptions get better, I think. This is where it gets a little fluffy. For you people who don't know what that is… you'll figure it out eventually. Review, you crazy people!

horsie890

"I'm tired. Let's go back to the castle," said Zelda.

"Okay. I'm losing miserably, anyway," answered Link. They mounted their horses and cantered back to the castle, taking the shortcut through the town. When they reached the barn, they turned and looked at the setting sun. Ginger, ruby, and golden ribbons of sunlight fluttered across the earth.

"Wow, Zelda. That sunset is gorgeous," Link said. "Just like you." He put an arm around her shoulders.

"Ummm, yeah." She tried to pull away from him.

"What's wrong, Zel? We've only been married for a few months. Are you sick of me already?"

"No, but now that I think about it, I do feel a little sick. I'll put Hyacinth away, then just go to bed," she said as she stood up.

"If you're sick, I should walk you up to your room. It's quite a hike..."

"No, you have to take care of Epona. I'll be fine."

"At least let me put the horse away."

"No, I can handle it," she said, leading the dapple-gray mare into her stall and closing the gate. She walked back to the castle.

"Okay, if you say so." Link noticed that Hyacinth was still sweating, and she hadn't been brushed properly. Her water and food buckets were completely empty. "Just a minute, Epona. I need to take care of Hyacinth." He refilled the water bucket and brushed the horse's silver-spotted coat while she slowly drank. By the time he finished, the water was empty again; she had cooled off and was eating. "Zelda would never leave Hyacinth like this. There must be something wrong with her. I wonder… what about that weird guy who showed up with Ganondorf? Maybe he did something," he said to himself. He finished with his horse and walked back to the castle, trying to figure out what had happened.

Review Responses:

I got nothin'. Keep reading. –horsie890


	5. Chapter Five

Very, very looooooooooooooooooooong chapter ahead. Enjoy, read, and review! It actually gets good this time… –horsie890

_He's getting suspicious, but he still hasn't figured it out._ Aronos was watching from the Dark Realm. _Ganon is starting to return to a Gerudo. Zelda's magic energy is so powerful that it might transform him into Ganon._ Even though Aronos knew his master was no longer as powerful as Ganon, he was respectful of Ganondorf. He decided to see how the real Zelda, her spirit, was doing. He opened a magic window that showed him the inside of the Water Temple. Zelda was jumping around, dodging attacks from Dark Link. She was clearly fading away. Every ounce of magic Ganon absorbed made her become weaker and more invisible.

Zelda tried to evade the sword slashes of Dark Link. She had just enough power to make a thin, blue energy shield, but it was quickly weakening. She was relieved that he couldn't do magic, but she still thought it was the real Link. "Why are you attacking me?" she asked in fear.

"It's my job. I was told to kill Link, but he turned out to be too strong. You, on the other hand…you're making this too easy."

"What-what do you mean it's your job? And how could you kill Link if that's who you are?" "You really don't listen, do you?" He sheathed the sword and stood still, studying her. " I'm his shadow, Dark Link. I was created from all the evil that lives inside of him."

"There isn't any evil inside Link!"

"Oh please, you know that's not true. Everyone has some evil; no one is completely perfect all the time. Link's already seen his shadow. And I think it's time you meet yours!" He pointed the sinister blade of his sword at Zelda. It started glowing red and shot a bolt of energy at her. She felt like she was being pulled apart, like she was separating into two people. When the pain was finally over, she was shaking and kneeling on the ground. "It's about time you let me out," came a cruel, yet familiar voice. Zelda raised her head to see who it belonged to. A shadowy figure stood next to Dark Link. She had deep cobalt eyes set in an evil glare. "Who are you?" Zelda asked weakly. She felt like she was looking into a black mirror.

"Who do you think?" said the person. "I'm you. Well, your shadow at least. I've been waiting for years to get out. And now, thanks to Dark Link, I'm finally free!" She glanced at him. Zelda felt even weaker than before, as if part of her was missing.

"There's just one thing I don't understand. If you're Link's shadow, why didn't he get weaker like I have?"

"Well, he _did_ defeat me, so he didn't lose power. But your shadow was drawn out of you, and your power went with her." Zelda's heart felt like it had been swiftly stabbed. She felt as though she was going to die from the pain. She fainted instead, falling forward from weakness. "So, you want to do the honors?" said Dark Link.

Shadow Zelda replied, "No, you can handle it. I'd rather watch." He stepped forward, unsheathing his black sword. "You know, she bugs me. I don't know how anyone could love Link that much. The only thing worse than having him around is having someone who is crazy about him."

"True. But at least she'll be gone soon. And so will Link, after Ganondorf is through with him." "How did you know what he has planned?"

"She's not the only one who can use telepathy."

"That's the only thing Link and I have in common. We really don't like that."

"You'll get over it." Dark Link stood right in front of Zelda (the non-evil one) and lifted his sword to eye level, studying it. "Do realize how many things Link has killed with this thing? More like, how many things I have killed. I always took over when we fought. But in the Water Temple, he got lost, and we didn't fight for so long, I got bored, gave up, left him, and found my own chamber. I decided it was time to see what he was made of, if he could fight without me. Looks like he could."

"I don't mean to rush you, but are you going to kill her or not? I would like to get going and watch the battle."

"Good point. Do you think my sword will go right through her? She does look like a ghost." "Only one way to find out. The Sword of Darkness is enchanted, right? It should work." He lifted the sword over his head with both hands and brought it down on Zelda's back, right on top of her heart. She didn't move, but her already slow breathing stopped abruptly. From the point where the blade touched her, purple tendrils of darkness began spreading throughout her body. When she was completely dark, she turned into ribbons of black mist that floated up toward the endless ceiling. Dark Link brushed them away with his hand. "Now that that's over with, shall we go watch the fun when Link finds out that his precious Zelda is dead?"

"Yes, let's go. I can't wait to see the look on his face."

"I should probably check with Ganondorf and see how far things have progressed," said Dark Link.

"Allow me," said Shadow Zelda, closing her eyes and concentrating. She made mental contact with Ganondorf and asked him, "Should Dark Link and I come watch yet? We've finished off Zelda's spirit; she didn't even put up a fight because you have all of her power."

"No, don't come just yet. I still need to make sure Link trusts me before I destroy him. Go to the Dark Realm and meet Aronos. I think he might need your help."

"Okay. Let us know when we can come. Dark Link and I don't want to miss any of the action." "I'll be sure to let you know." She opened her eyes. "He said to meet Aronos in the Dark Realm, that he might need our help. I don't think he's sure that Link trusts him, so we'll keep a close watch." She opened a portal to the Dark Realm and followed Dark Link inside, leaving the heartbreaking Serenade of Water behind them.

Link was lying on his bed, staring at the ceiling, trying to figure out what had happened to Zelda. _What could be wrong with her? Maybe when that guy knocked her off of Hyacinth…_There was a quiet knock on the door. "Who is it?" said Link absentmindedly.

"It's Impa. Can I come in?" He sat up and said yes. Impa stepped through the door, looking concerned.

"What's wrong, Impa?"

"It's Zelda. She doesn't seem like herself. She's just acting-"

"-weird. I noticed. When we were out at archery practice today, she was just fine. Then, out of nowhere, Ganondorf and this other guy showed up and knocked her off Hyacinth. She was unconscious. Then the other person-I think his name was 'Aronos' or something- he started some weird spell. There was a really bright flash of light, and when I looked, Ganondorf was gone, and Aronos was stepping through a portal."

"That sounds strange. What color was the flash of light?"

"Gold."

"Hmmm. I think I may know what happened. It sounds like he invoked the powers of the Goddesses. He probably fused Ganondorf's mind with Zelda, putting him in charge."

"How did you figure that out?"

"I know a lot of spells, and the ones with gold colored recoil- that flash you saw- have to be very powerful, usually requiring the power of the Goddesses. And since Ganondorf was gone, I think mind control was probably what happened."

"That makes sense. So how do we separate them?"

"Well, there's no guarantee that that's _exactly_ what happened. I know this may sound strange, but Zelda could have played a trick on your mind."

"I doubt it. Zelda would never do that."

"I could go through the library and see if I can find a separation spell."

"Good idea. I'll try to read her mind and see what's going on."

"Okay. Let's get to work."

There was hardly anything left of the real Zelda. Her spirit was no longer a Hylian form. Instead, she could only drift around in the air, not as a ghost, but more as an idea. She knew she was dead; there was no mistaking that. She didn't know why she hadn't gone to the Sacred Realm to live in happiness. Of course, it wouldn't have been complete happiness; Link wouldn't have been there._ What am I going to do? I can't contact Link, I can't touch anything, I don't even know where I am!_ She couldn't see anything, but she could sense she was surrounded by empty space. Suddenly, she heard a voice. "What are you doing here, Seventh Sage?" It was Rauru! She must be in the Chamber of Sages. She tried to speak, but realized she had no voice. _Can you hear me, Rauru? I think I'm dead. I can't talk, or move, or even see!_

"It is okay, Zelda. Yes, you may be dead, but it will not last forever. I cannot revive you, but I can put you back into a Hylian spirit form. _Numenor!_" Zelda sensed waves of magic building up around her, then suddenly felt filled with energy. She realized that she had eyes, and opened them. Looking around, Zelda noticed she looked like her Hylian self again, only still translucent.

"Thank you, Rauru. I have a couple questions. How did I get here, and where was I?"

"You were in the Water Temple, in the chamber where Dark Link resides. When he stole your shadow, you were lucky you didn't die. There was enough light in your heart to sustain you. When most people die and the decency inside them goes to the Sacred Realm, there is too much darkness, so they are not strong enough to stay in one body and must be separated. Anyway, when a Sage dies, they are transported here, to make the decision."

"What decision?"

"If they would like to be given life again, or if they wish to truly die and go to the Sacred Realm."

"I don't want to die yet! What about Link?"

"Sadly, my power, even combined with the other Sages, is not great enough to destroy Ganondorf _and_ give you control of your body. I can only do one."

"I wonder if Impa is planning anything."

"Actually, she and Link are going to try to separate your body and Ganondorf."

"Then can't you just put me back in body when he is gone?"

"That much magic, even for you, would be too great and end up killing you. For good."

"I would rather have that than let Ganondorf hurt Link by pretending to be me. Besides, isn't there a chance that the combined spells would work?"

"I suppose there may be a slim chance. But if it failed, and Ganondorf was only separated from you, we would need your power to seal him in the Dark Realm, along with Aronos." "Aronos? But he was my best friend! You can't mean the same person!"

"I'm sorry, but he is responsible for this whole mess. He is Ganondorf's loyal assistant. _Very_ loyal."

"Perhaps there is another way to solve this. I don't want to hurt my friend, but if he is loyal to Ganondorf, then I guess there's only one thing to do." She thought for a moment, then had an idea. "I know one thing that would be able to take my place," she said, almost solemnly. Rauru's eyes widened. "You don't mean-"

"Yes. The only thing powerful enough that any Sage can possess."

Review Responses: Same as last time. When some of you actually decide to review, I can change it! –horsie890


	6. Chapter Six

Aronos was still surprised. Not surprised that the spell had worked, he knew it would; he was surprised at what he looked like. He remembered that when he was younger, he hadn't been evil. He had had long, fiery red hair, shining green eyes, and always a smile on his face. He never thought of what would happen to him after he met Ganondorf. But as he grew, the Gerudo's evil transformed his appearance. He aged faster than normal; his eyes became glowing ruby ovals, and his hair turned completely black. Now, as he studied his reflection in the silvery liquid, he realized that he looked the same as he had when he was still pure hearted. Looking over the spell, he noticed a few sentences at the very end. "This spell shows a being in their pure form, free of evil. It dispels any powerful darkness inside a person's heart, restoring them to balance." _Oh. That explains it._ He heard the unmistakable sound of a portal opening beside him. He quickly covered his face with the hood of his robe, hiding his new appearance. He could sense that there were two figures entering, and that they were completely evil, yet somehow hollow. The portal closed, and Shadow Zelda began speaking. "So I hear you might need our help with something," she said, somewhat disappointed that Ganondorf wasn't ready to kill Link yet. "Where did you get that idea?" He almost gasped, catching himself at the last second, upon realizing that his voice sounded younger as well. "Ganondorf said so. Sounds like he doesn't know what you're doing. Either that, or he doesn't believe in your abilities." Aronos looked surprised, thankful his face was hidden. "That's not true," he replied monotonously.

"You sure? He sure sounded like he didn't trust you. He's probably afraid of you. He knows you're stronger than him."

"Zelda, what are you saying that for?" Dark Link murmured.

"Shhh," she whispered to him.

"Maybe you should go see what he's up to." Aronos glared at her.

"No, I think he can handle it. Besides, it never hurts to trust people." He left them, going to another room in the castle. _You don't know how wrong you are, _thought Dark Link. _I trusted Link to always be ready to fight, and look where it got me! _

"I thought he'd never leave. Now, it's time to see what this spell can really do." Shadow Zelda picked up one of the bottles of the potion and drank it. Liquid metal flowed throughout her whole body, turning her into silver. Dark Link stared in astonishment.

"And how does this help?"

"It makes you more powerful; it fills you with energy. Try it." He tentatively stepped towards her.

"Are you sure about this?"

"Oh, come on. It doesn't hurt." She held out the other bottle. Dark Link took it and drank the potion. He saw that he had turned silver, just like Shadow Zelda.

"Wow. This is new. It's like I'm way more powerful than Link ever was."

"I know what you mean. It feels like I'm finally separate from Zelda. Like I'm my own person. And you know what else? I don't feel evil anymore." Dark Link thought about what she was saying. "Now that you mention it, that's what I feel like too!"

"That's what the potion does." Aronos was standing there, calmly watching them. His hood was pulled back, revealing his youthful face. "You look-different," said Dark Link.

"I just told you- the spell removes enough evil from a person to put them back in balance. The only reason you don't look normal is because you weren't complete to begin with. But that will fix itself in time." He sounded wise, like he knew more than he used to.

"So what do we do now?" said Dark Link.

"I don't know. But I don't think I want to stay here. It's too miserable an atmosphere," Shadow Zelda replied.

"That's something I thought you'd never say." She laughed at Dark Link's comment.

"Me either. I know," she said. "Let's go back to the Water Temple. It seems like we should go back there. I can't quite figure out why, but I feel connected to it." She took Dark Link's hand. "Okay. I guess that's as good an idea as any." Aronos opened a portal, and they stepped through it together. He watched them leave, then went back to the window that showed him the real Link and the imitation Zelda. Link was talking to her, trying to figure out if Ganondorf had really taken control of her. Ganondorf was doing his best to act like her, but Link could see right through it. He left the room and went to see Impa in the library. She had already gathered the potions necessary for the spell, and they talked about how they were going to cast it. Using his magic, Aronos wiped away the window and went to the highest room in the castle so he could think. Think about what he had done in the past. About what he would do in the future. _About how he was going to stop Ganondorf. _

Review Responses: Still nothing.

About the story: Yeah, yeah, cliffie. I hate me for it, and I've decided to reward all you (non-reviewing) people by putting in the last chapter now. As always, enjoy, read, and review it!

horsie890


	7. Chapter Seven

"Okay, how are we going to get them in a safe place to separate them?" Link asked Impa. "Do you know of any places that no one ever goes?" He thought for a moment.

"The garden!"

"That'll do. Convince 'Zelda' to come down there in an hour. I'll need a little more time." He nodded and started to walk out of the room. "Oh, and Link-" He turned around.

"Don't worry. I'll be able to save her."

"I know, Impa. I trust you." He went back to his room to relax. _Link…are you…there?_ He looked around, but no one was there. A shimmering figure materialized in front of him. "Zelda! Is that you?"

"Sort of. Just my spirit. Listen. I know you are going to perform a spell to separate Ganondorf and me. But there's something you need to know. It won't work."

"What do you mean? Impa is great with magic!"

"No, I mean-it will only release his spirit. I don't have enough life energy left to return to my body; I can only stay in this form. Technically, I'm already dead. I went to the Chamber of Sages, where I had to decide either to be revitalized or be truly dead and live in the Sacred Realm. I can still visit you in spirit, though. Anyway, there is only one way to destroy him. We would need the power of all the Sages, including me, to seal him back in the Dark Realm. But, since I can't be returned to my body until he's gone, there's only one thing to do."

"I'm afraid to ask, but what is it?" She took a deep breath.

"I could give my pieces of the Triforce to you. Then you would have enough power to defeat him. The problem is that they're the only things keeping me alive. So if I disconnected with them, I would die. For good."

"You can't do that! I couldn't live without you!"

"There's no other way. I'm sorry, Link. I will always love you, and I'll miss you." She wiped a tear from her eye and disappeared. "Zelda…no…" Link couldn't do anything but cry.

"Are you sure you want to do this, Zelda?" said Rauru.

"It's the only way, and you know it." She was facing away from him.

"It's breaking Link's heart!"

"I know. But I'll always be with him. As long as he remembers me." She couldn't stop the tears from streaming down her cheeks. Even though she couldn't feel them, her vision was blurred. "When will you give him the Triforce?"

"Right before Impa does the spell. At least I have a little time to say goodbye."

"Didn't you just talk to him?" came Saria's quavering voice. She was on the verge of tears as well.

"Yes, but I can't leave him in the state he is. I just wanted to make sure you know what I am going to do."

"Very well, Zelda. It's your decision, and I can't change it. Now, go back to Link. He needs you," said Rauru. She nodded and teleported back to the castle.

"Link? Are you still here?" She appeared in his room. He was sitting on his bed, crying uncontrollably. He looked up when he heard her voice. "I thought you left for good," he said miserably. "I just needed to make sure Rauru knew what I was doing. You know, it takes more than a moment to say goodbye. I thought…we could go to the garden. I haven't been there in a while, and it's so peaceful that I thought-" She broke off, afraid she would start crying again.

"I need to tell Impa first. We were planning to do the spell there, but she'll understand."

"Can I come with you?"

"Can you make yourself invisible to other people?"

"Yes."

"Then okay." They hurried up to the library, Link's eyes still red and Zelda thinking quietly.

"Impa, there's been a change of plans," he told her hastily.

"Zelda is…"

"I have to give Link the pieces of the Triforce that I own."

"But Zelda, that will kill you!" Impa exclaimed in shock.

"I know. But it's the only way. Ganondorf has completely absorbed my energy and robbed me of my life. If you separated him and my body, you would only be releasing his newly energized spirit. I have to do this, as much as I will miss Link." She started crying softly. Link hugged her, not noticing that she was a solid figure even though she looked ghostly.

An hour later, Link was just about ready to get Zelda's imitation. "May this, my final gift to you, the Hero of Time, aid you in the struggle against darkness," Zelda said, placing her hand on top of his. There was a glow of white light underneath, and Link felt stronger, faster, and more skilled than he ever had before. Zelda's face twisted in agony. Her ghost grew more and more transparent, until she vanished in a puff of blue smoke. G_oodbye, Link_. Her words echoed in his soul, the last ones she ever said. Fighting back tears, he found the fake Zelda and led her to the garden.

"Where are we going, Link?"

"You'll see." They reached the entrance, Link closing the door behind them. He could sense Impa's presence, though he guessed she was using her shadow skills to stay hidden.

"Okay, now what's this all about?"

"It's time to get rid of you…Ganondorf!" Instead of looking shocked, Zelda smiled evilly.

"I'm surprised you have figured out my plans, Hero of Time. But it's too late. Your precious Zelda's energy belongs to me now."

"Now!" Link shouted as Impa came out of hiding. She poured a glowing green liquid on Zelda's head. There was another golden flash, and there was Ganondorf, standing in front of Link. He drew the Master Sword and attacked the Gerudo in a blind rage, somehow leaving the surrounding plants unharmed. Slash after slash, spin after spin, he only got a few good blows on Ganondorf, who was firing magic blasts the entire time. Impa used a quick spell to freeze him, allowing Link to stab him hard. "This is for all the suffering you put Hyrule through!" He thrust the blade into Ganondorf's black heart. "This is for all the monsters you made me fight!" Another strong attack. Pulling the sword out, he shouted one last thing. "This is for Zelda!" He stabbed the Gerudo for the last time, which made him scream in torture. A dark portal opened, sucking in all of the evil. It vanished as quickly as it had appeared, restoring peace to the garden. Link was breathing hard, but it was mainly from the last three attacks. The rest of the battle hadn't taken much out of him. "Now he'll never come back." He sheathed the Master Sword, then said to Impa, "Thanks for all your help. I couldn't have done it without you."

"You're welcome, Link."

"I would like to say thank you as well." They turned and saw the Aronos leaning against a tree, his face peaceful, despite the battle he had undoubtedly seen. Instinct told Link who he was. "You-this is all your fault! It's because of you that Zelda had to die!" Link rapidly pulled out his sword, ready for battle again.

"I do not want to fight you."

"You sure don't. Now that I have the Triforce, you don't stand a chance!" Aronos simply walked over to him. "I am truly sorry about Zelda. It was out of loyalty to Ganondorf that I did it, although I can't say I know why I was ever loyal to him. Allow me to make it up to you." He chanted under his breath, "_Ichen ralmea sacredia._". A golden sphere descended from the sky. "Step into it, Link." Link cautiously walked into the glowing orb. As soon as he did, he found himself looking at a vast sky. A vast _golden_ sky. He could sense peace and happiness surrounding him. "The Sacred Realm," he said to himself. He suddenly remembered a poem about the Sacred Realm, and decided to say it. " 'In a Realm beyond sight, the sky shines gold not blue; There, the Triforce's might makes mortal dreams come true.' I never thought I'd actually make it here. But I have. I wonder if-"

"The one you seek is here, Hero of Time." He heard three gentle voices speaking in unison. It must have been the Goddesses. "Zelda? She's here? Where?"

"All will be known in time. First, there is another for you to meet." He stared into the distance, seeing a small silver circle flying towards him.

"Could it be?" As it got closer, it was unmistakable.

"Navi! You're okay!" She floated around him, giggling.

"Yes, I'm fine. How are you?" He turned away from her.

"It's Zelda. She's-"

"-here. But we'll get to that in a minute," she finished, almost nonchalantly. Link was starting to get annoyed. He had come here to find Zelda (he thought), and everyone, even Navi, was holding him back.

"She's regaining her life energy. Anyway, I'm glad you're okay. And you did a really good job of getting rid of Ganondorf. Do you know anything about Aronos?"

"Slow down, Navi. One topic at a time. In order: good, I'm fine, it was easy, and no."

"Oh. He's Impa's nephew. When you, him, and Zelda were little, Impa would bring him over to the castle to play with Zelda. They were almost as good of friends as you and Saria. When Zelda told Impa about her dream, Impa took him to live in Kakariko Village. Before he left, Zelda gave him a book of magic spells because he loved reading. Kind of like when Saria gave you the Fairy Ocarina."

"So, he wasn't always evil?"

"No, that happened after he met Ganondorf. You know the house in Kakariko that was where the well is now? That was his house. Ganondorf destroyed it, killing his mother and sister; the only family he had. It made him turn evil, but now he's back to normal."

"That's sad." He paused for a second. "So, where's Zelda?"

"In a minute, Link! Listen, you need to make a decision. You can either put the Triforce here so it can stay protected, or you can keep it safe within you. If you leave it here, you may not be able to be completely sure it is safe, but it would be one less task for you to fulfill. If you keep it, you can personally be sure it is secure, and you will have greater power than ever before. But with that power comes responsibility. Try not to use it just for fun."

"I won't."

"I'm guessing you're going to keep it then?" He nodded with a smile, though his eyes were still sad. "I don't mean to rush, but when can I see Zelda?"

"I'm right here." His face brightened and he turned around towards the voice. Zelda was standing there, smiling. Her voice was peaceful and calm. She ran toward Link and hugged him.

"I'm so glad you're alive!" he said, crying from happiness. Zelda was crying too. Navi was about to cry, but instead she just sighed and waited. After a few moments, Zelda pulled away and looked at Link.

"I think I want to go home now," she said.

"Good idea." Link looked at Navi. "Navi, would you like to come back with us?"

"I'm sorry, but I need to stay here."

"Why?"

"I am going to watch over the world with the Goddesses."

"You mean-"

"Yes. Din, Nayru, and Farore."

"Oh. Okay. Just be sure to visit me sometime." She laughed.

"I will."

"Well, I'm glad you're okay, Navi. I've missed you so much!" He gave the fairy a gentle hug, then walked back to the glowing orb that had brought him there. "Goodbye, Navi!" he shouted to her. "Bye!" Link took Zelda's hand, and they walked into the magical, glowing portal, arriving back at the garden.

"I feel really bad about what happened when I met Ganondorf, Impa. I'm sorry." Aronos was talking to Impa. His face was troubled.

"I know. It's not your fault. Ganondorf corrupted many people."

"But I was…so…_loyal_ to him. That…evil…Grrr!" He felt so angry; at himself, at Ganondorf… "Aronos, please!" She put a hand on his shoulder. "You couldn't have done anything. He was too powerful."

"She's right, you know." Link said. Impa ran over to Zelda and hugged her.

"You don't know how worried I was!"

"Why were you worried? Link was with me," she said, with almost a hint of confusion.

Impa laughed.

"I guess you're right." Zelda noticed who else was standing there. "Aronos! I haven't seen you in years!" She ran over to him and gave him a hug. For once, Link didn't feel overprotective of her. He knew Zelda hadn't seen her best friend in a long time, while he got to see Saria almost every other day.

"You look different," said Aronos.

"You too! I never thought that's what you would look like when you grew up!"

"Same here. I thought I'd never see you again after I met…_him_…"

"Will you get over that already? What's done is done. What matters is that you're okay; I'm, well, alive; and that we're all here together! Right, Link?"

"Right." She went back to Link and stood next to him, smiling.

"I'm so happy everything worked out! It couldn't get much better than this!"

"Actually, it can," said Impa.

"How?" Zelda said curiously.

"I'll show you," said Aronos, waving open a portal. He led Link and Zelda inside, leaving Impa in the garden.

Zelda, Link, and Aronos found themselves standing in the room where Zelda had been trapped. "This is where my spirit was. This is where I died…I hope Dark Link isn't here!" Zelda looked frightened. Link pulled out the Master Sword, ready for battle. "Yes, I'm here. But I won't kill you this time." They saw Dark Link and Shadow Zelda by the dead tree. They looked…different somehow.

"You aren't black anymore. What happened?" said Link.

"My fault, actually. But it doesn't matter too much. We are no longer your evil shadows. Instead, we are…ummm…what are we again?" Shadow Zelda said, seemingly talking to herself.

"That is a little hard to explain. You see, even though you're not dark, evil beings anymore, you're not completely good. The reason you turned silver is because you were never fully living before the…incident, if you will. However, you possessed enough dark energy to stay in a Hylian form. In other words, you were dead, but you weren't, and you used to be evil, and now you're not all the way evil, but not totally good, either," said Aronos. There was a long silence.

"What does that mean?" asked Dark Link.

"I think I get it," Link said.

"Even though you two were just our shadows, whatever happened to you must have made you part living."

"Oh, I get it," said Shadow Zelda. Zelda had been humming the Serenade of Water the whole time. She turned into Sheik, took out her golden harp, and played the magical song. Link took the cue, pulled out the Ocarina of Time, and began the song. Aronos smiled and listened to the music. After being played, the light, wispy notes seemed to hang in the air for a whispery moment before vanishing, only to be smoothly replaced with new notes. Link and Sheik didn't even notice when their shadows rejoined them; the song didn't change at all. As they lapsed into the last few notes, they realized that Dark Link and Shadow Zelda had disappeared. "Where did they go?" asked Link.

"They are a part of you again. You are finally back in balance," said Aronos. Sheik turned back into Zelda.

"Let's go back to the castle." Link said, taking hold of Zelda's hand.

"Good idea." Aronos opened a portal, and they teleported back home.

Review Responses:

Well, that's that. I hope you didn't hate it. I had to change a million and one things, so it is quite strange. Originally, it was going to be about that missing piece in the center of the Triforce, but as I typed it, my slightly twisted mind changed it. Review. Please? Come on, it won't hurt! That much…Anykawhosit (Anyway), I'm working on another one now. It's completely written out. Yes, I confess, I write out everything before I type it. Stupid, waste of paper-but I can't take a computer to school and have my friends regularly read and review my story, so notebooks work better. Speaking of reviewing…GO! NOW! RUN! (chases people towards review button) Now click on it! (people stand there confused) Don't make me bring in the rabid non-reviewing-people-eating dogs! (people review as many times as possible) Good people! (horsie890 wakes up from dream of people reviewing) Why can't the world be perfect? Anyways-aren't you glad I don't believe in putting author's notes in the middle of my story? DDK1993: You do that all the time. horsie890: Not on the computer. DD: True. horsie890: This has been another really weird story from me. Yep. Bye now. Wait, I just thought of something! (Someone from the back row throws a plastic brick at horsie890's head, knocking her unconscious) Everyone: Yay!

–your idiotic/psychotic pal, horsie890.


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